The Controversy Behind '13 Reasons Why'

Warning:

This paper contains strong and harsh topics from the show, mainly speaking over the subject of suicide.

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Tragic. Triggering. Glorified. Inspiring. Those are only a few words that describe the intensely controversial show from Netflix, 13 Reasons Why. This show has no censorship when it comes to the tragic tale of Hannah Baker, the teenage protagonist who killed herself in a seemingly perpetual scene in the final episode of the show’s first season. In fact, the effect of this was even more impacting than people may have imagined; a study was made recently after the first season’s release, showing that internet searches over suicide ideation rose in a short period of time. Clearly, a very negative impact on viewers. Even still, the show has been able to conjure up what have been the most acute topics, including the main subject in the spotlight, suicide. Thanks to this, viewers have had the courage to speak to others about their issues, or even help others that are in need. The biggest issue that goes around with the show is the fact that it does not censor these strong matters, leading to worry, triggering, and discussions over the idea of mitigating those scenes. One thing is certain though. This discussion will be going on for a while, but the show won’t disappear. People are saying that 13 Reasons Why glorifies suicide, due to how Hannah made 13 tapes for each person that caused her death, as well as it being harshly triggering, due to intense harassment, bullying, an uncensored suicide scene, and more. But the show has brought courage to viewers who are now able to speak their mind, help others, and be more open about this subject with the knowledge that this show will clearly not go away, and that this a good change for society if precautions are taken. This show is very open and, in fact, very helpful for people who can relate. It has already created world-wide discussion within people impacted by the show, sharing their stories and relating to characters. This has brought an immense amount of support within society. It surpasses the groups of people that find the show to be too harsh and brings up the fact that suicide is happening and there’s no reason to push it away. There may just be a need for support from others to make the show less harsh for audiences and create conversation within each other.

Even though the subject matter within the show is jarring, it all shows the realism of society’s struggles. Not everyone may be experiencing these issues, but it’s more common than one would think; anyone you pass by on the street, in school, or even at work may be dealing with these issues. Even friends and family members could be struggling, so there’s a need for companionship and amity to make people feel less alone and afraid of sharing their problems with others. Not only that, but any small criticism or joke could be taken badly by someone. It’s shown in the show itself how impactful people can truly be, and how strongly words can actually affect people. There’s a clear need for empathy within all of society in order to avoid these plights. Society must confront the reality of things and realize that it’s all real, leaving behind biased and stigmatic thoughts. Bullying, rumor spreading, sexual harassment, rape, trauma, homophobia, neglect, and drug/alcohol abuse—these are all prominent in the show and are put into the spotlight in different, real ways. Society can’t avoid this anymore and should be together when facing it. Instead of leaving people alone to watch it, people should watch it together and open up to each other and give support. It breaks barriers and creates safer environments, whilst leading to openness about these strong topics and avoidance of ignorance. In the show, Hannah’s love interest, Clay, mentions how the way that people treat each other needs to get better, which is reiterated by Megan MacCutcheon in an article about learning the lessons of 13 Reasons Why, by saying, “The way to make this happen is by talking—not shying away from difficult conversations or hiding from painful topics—and instead ensuring honesty and effective communication, along with compassion and kindness, are the lessons our children receive.” (MacCutcheon, “Why We Must Pay Attention to the Lessons in 13 Reasons Why”). Even still, though, with these options, it still may not be enough for people. Some simply can’t have that support, and some are still negatively impacted by the show.

As mentioned previously, and to quote more directly, “a study was published in JAMA International Medicine, reporting that searches over suicide ideation rose 19 percent higher in a span of 19 days.” (Madhumita, "Internet searches on suicide went up after 13 Reasons Why"). It has also been analysed that these search rates reflect real-world suicide rates, which leads to the possibility of a rise in suicide rates since the show’s release. Netflix did put warnings before their most triggering episodes, and with hotlines, along with school superintendents sending out warnings to parents and families about the show’s intensity, but even still, the rise in searches is very apparent. Since some audiences are really vulnerable to these topics, they should stay away from the show entirely because it’s very intense with basically no censorship. Some people may still not be okay after watching it with someone and having support, because not everyone is completely open. Not only that, but it’s been shown that psychiatric patients have been mentioning the show to their psychiatrists in worrisome ways. In Madhumita’s article, she found that Dan Nelson, a medical director of the child psychiatry inpatient unit at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, mentioned as follows about one of his patients, “She said to me, ‘I saw that show and it really convinced me that suicide was a normal thing to do’... I’ve never heard that. In 30 years, I’ve never heard a child say this thing made me think suicide is normal. That really got my attention” (Madhumita, "Internet searches on suicide went up after 13 Reasons Why"). Along with that, patients have mentioned wanting to kill themselves the same way Hannah did in the show. It’s also been mentioned that the show glamorizes suicide and shouldn’t be so open about the topics it mentions, giving off a supposedly unrealistic feel to what those subjects really are. Though, some people may not be looking at it the right way and giving it too much of a general idea. There is, in fact, a lot more to the show than the seemingly overdone story of Hannah Baker.

Some people may not see it this way, but this show really shows the true, ugly side of suicide and all the other lingering topics. It’s not exactly like Hannah for everyone, but a lot of what is in the story is true. Her reactions, other character’s reactions, the intense emotions, and the harsh living is all very prominent when it comes to these events in real-world situations. Watering down the show may not be the best option since it’ll make it seem like suicide, along with the other topics, are not as much of a concern, or perhaps, that the show is belittling the reality of things. It’s not all negative, either. A study from Northwestern University’s Center on Media and Human Development shows that “78 percent of viewers believed that the series helped them understand that their actions can have an impact on others. 73 percent decided to be more considerate about how they treated other people following their view of season 1. 51 percent said they reached out to someone they hurt after being inspired by Hannah and Clay's story” (Reilly, “The Surprising Impact Of 13 Reasons Why's Controversial Content”). The inspiring aspects of the show’s story has helped people become more empathetic and has made viewers open up about their stories as well. This show demonstrates the real, ghastly side of suicide, abuse, self-harm, and more, leading to a society with more knowledge over these facts. If people have begun to relate so much to it, confronted people about it, become more careful with their actions, and listen to others, this show truly isn’t glamorizing anything. It’s opening the eyes of the viewers and is giving them the opportunity to have more compassion. People susceptible to this can still be supported, even without watching the show, since some people learn to be kinder and more supportive. People can become more trustworthy towards them and break the stigma behind speaking of suicide and other sensitive topics. Even still, kindness and compassion may help those in need, but there’s another topic within the show which seems to have been pushed to the side.

It’s true that the show surrounds a multitude of important subjects, but one is not mentioned directly when it should be. The causes of Hannah’s death are apparent throughout the entirety of the show, but the one underlying cause that is the biggest reason for almost all suicides isn’t fully mentioned. “90 percent of people who commit suicide suffer from mental illness” (Grimm, "13 Reasons Why is wrong"). This is a major topic that should have been placed in the spotlight, but was never mentioned in a forward manner. By having moved this fact aside, the show made it seem like Hannah’s death was not her fault, but everyone else’s. It surrounds the tapes that Hannah recorded and the idea behind everyone’s affect on Hannah. By blaming everyone, it solemnly creates survivor’s guilt, as well as guilt towards audiences that have ever hurt people’s feelings. It also may bring guilt towards people who have done small things that never even impacted others, creating a sense of negative consciousness that shouldn’t really be there. Not only that, but the show gives the idea that, because Clay never stepped in, he is basically guilty as well for not giving Hannah the love and care she needed. It is mentioned, though, that it’s not his fault, that it also depended on her, but it mainly sides with Clay who says that she died because he didn’t give her love. This gives an inaccurate depiction of the true cause of Hannah’s death. By having mental illness, which was definitely insinuated in Hannah’s personality through her emotional state and reactions towards small situations, she had her decision made through her being as well. It is true that others pushed her more towards making that decision due to their negative actions, but everything lead back to Hannah and her personal feelings, emotions, and actions. She was personally and mentally troubled; the people around her just gave her more reason to do what she was willing to do in the end. All in all, though, it doesn’t mean this show doesn’t matter or is entirely inaccurate. There are still lessons learned in the show. Looking into it, just because it doesn’t mention things in a full-frontal manner doesn’t mean it’s lacking anything.

When analyzed well and being thoughtful whilst watching the show, it brings a good idea of what is truly happening throughout the whole thing. It’s a matter of keeping an open mind; one is still able to interpret the fact that Hannah was mentally ill even without it being fully mentioned. There may need to be a way to interpret the show in a better way if people can’t understand the full cause of Hannah’s death. Either way, it shines a bit of light on everything, including her mental illness. Not only that, but the show portrays the important need for communication. The teachers in the show teach students symptoms of suicidal people, also leading to a more apparent form of communication between these students and their parents. The show also demonstrates the sad reality of how uncomfortable people are when it comes to talking about such sensitive topics. Also mentioned within an article over the reasons why the show matters, and also seen clearly in the show, “Even the school counselor Mr. Porter seems unwilling to have a conversation with Hannah Baker when she goes to him for help.” (Watkins, “Thirteen reasons why 13 Reasons Why matters”). It shines light on the idea that society struggles when it comes to speaking of these topics. They becomes uncomfortable and don’t truly know how to face such harsh realities, which is depicted well in that scene. The show itself has warnings and hotlines before some episodes for audiences who may be provoked easily, leading to the fact that it’s truly not unsafe to watch, especially with a person of trust. There’s a need for people to acknowledge this and realize that it can be watched safely with an open mind. People are clearly already becoming very aware of these situations by reaching out to others and opening up about themselves; the support is more predominant because of this and help is even more available for those that are struggling and in need. Along with that, questions about suicide are answered in the show, like how people act before they commit suicide or the reasons why people do it. It also demonstrates how their minds work through actions and emotions and their sensitivity towards certain situations. There is one issue, though. There’s an important and impacting matter that seems to be lacking in the show.

The show doesn’t really show any true form of parental guidance and supervision. There’s a pretty big gap between the parents and the teens within the show, lacking a perspective towards parenting. There is one point in the show where Hannah goes off in their car with friends the parents don’t know or question, and they don’t give her precautions about drugs, alcohol, sex, or any other risk that requires safety, protection, and limitation. All the contact made with the parents is very simple and short. They don’t have very much courage to speak even a little about their problems to their parents, and parents don’t communicate well with their kids and let many things just slide casually without any form of curiosity. In reality, parents are often at least a little curious about their children’s lives and what they are up to, making sure that they are making at least somewhat good decisions or caring for their safety under different circumstances they may find themselves in. In an article that speaks of this issue, the author elaborates as follows, “But what is most important for parents—and lacking in 13 Reasons Why—is curiosity. Curiosity about teens' friends, hobbies, homework or hairstyle choices” (Domakonda, "What 13 Reasons Why lacks: parenting"). There are always, at least, little things that parents wonder about, such as their whereabouts or what kind of people they hang out with. Even though some parents can sometimes feel like their teens are dramatizing things, they still get a glimpse of what’s happening in their lives, which is really lacking in the show. It just gives an unrealistic perspective of how teens' lives are and how parents act towards them. In the end, though, it is true that not all parents are alike. There are still some that are completely oblivious as to what’s going on in their children’s lives without questioning them, the same way as it is for most of the teens in the show. The show doesn’t push them aside in totality, and involves them a little more in the second season of the show.

Despite the diminution of a few aspects in the show, such as parenting or talking about mental illness in an upfront manner, there are still many lessons that have been and could be learned by society. It’s a very open and upfront show. To some, it is seemingly glamorized but, in reality, it’s the ugly truth of living such a painful life and dealing with such consequences. It most certainly is not accurate for every single suicide, but it gives a sense of the realism behind it. It can be very impacting to those who are susceptible, due to its portrayal of very strong, graphic scenes. By taking the right precautions, though, it’s much easier to watch and better to comprehend. There’s a need for open-mindedness in order to really comprehend the many ideas behind the story. But it’s much better to watch it with someone trustworthy and be able to talk about it and open up about the sentiments. Not only it being relatable, but what is right and wrong about it and it’s good to discuss how it impacts one or how it could talk about a certain aspect a bit more. It’s all a matter of breaking the silence and break down the barrier of controversy which will not be going away. The reality of it is out there, and it’s time to face it. Not only do we need to face these issues, but the stigma and controversy needs to end. By doing so, the world will open up more and people will find more support and awareness.

R.G.

Works Cited

MacCutcheon, Megan. “Why We Must Pay Attention to the Lessons in '13 Reasons Why'.” Therapy for Schizophrenia, Therapist For, GoodTherapy.org Therapy Blog, 20 July 2017, www.goodtherapy.org/blog/why-we-must-pay-attention-to-lessons-in-thirteen-reasons-why-0516175.

Murgia, Madhumita. "Internet searches on suicide went up after '13 Reasons Why'." Washington Post, 31 July 2017. Opposing Viewpoints In Context, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A499615808/OVIC?u=lbcc&sid=OVIC&xid=44c068a5.

Reilly, Kaitlin, et al. “The Surprising Impact Of The Controversial Content Of ‘13 Reasons Why.’” Transgender Experience Awkward Ted Talk Jackson Bird, Refinery29, http://www.refinery29.com/2018/03/194216/13-reasons-why-teens-react-controversy.

Grimm, Jaclyn. "'13 Reasons Why' is wrong." USA Today, 24 Apr. 2017, p. 07A. Opposing Viewpoints In Context, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A490572334/OVIC?u=lbcc&sid=OVIC&xid=9eec2dc6.

Watkins, Kaitlyn. “Thirteen Reasons Why '13 Reasons Why' Matters.” The Student Printz, 27 Apr. 2017, www.studentprintz.com/thirteen-reasons-why-13-reasons-why-matters/.

Domakonda, Mirjana. "What '13 Reasons Why' lacks: parenting." USA Today, 23 May 2017, p. 07A. Opposing Viewpoints In Context, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A492625235/OVIC?u=lbcc&sid=OVIC&xid=26279ba9.